Followers

Friday, August 21, 2009

Read-it-First: Swan for the Money

This week, St. Martin's Read-it-First program allowed us to preview Swan for the Money, the eleventh installment in the Meg Langslow series, by Donna Andrews. The preview starts off with a bang - the deaths of Matilda and Adelaide. Who is responsible for these murders? Well, there were no murders. Matilda and Adelaide are rose bushes. Nonetheless, foul play is suspected. Meg Langslow finds herself embroiled in the middle of this rose mystery. Supporting her eccentric parents new hobby, growing roses and entering them in highly competitive rose shows, Meg is the coordinator for the upcoming local rose show and feels compelled to solve any issue that comes up – including murder. Yes, there is a real murder.

The story is written as a traditional whodunit and doesn't have an overly complicated plot. I found the characters to be warm, funny and just a tad sarcastic. There is a good deal of amusing, playful banter between them. This seems to be a lighthearted series – I am not sure if the books in the series are stand alone or if it is necessary to start at the beginning. I think I may pick up the first in the series and see how it goes.

It is an e-mail book club. Each weekday morning they send samples from the current week's selected book. By the end of the week, you will have read approximately several chapters from said book :: 20-25 pages.

The purpose of the club is to wet your appetite. If you like what you've read, you may go out an buy the book.

I have certainly been exposed to book that I would not normally search for/pick up. Some have intrigued me, others have not.